WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), is a one-of-a-kind annual conference focusing on sustainable business strategies and solutions that inspire innovative change in the global tourism industry. This year, the ESTC is co-hosted by the Hilton Head Island (Hilton Head Island Visitor & Convention Bureau) and being held on Hilton Head Island, S.C., from September 19 to 21, at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. Organized by TIES (The International Ecotourism Society), a 20-year-old leading industry association dedicated to promoting tourism as a viable tool for sustainable development, the ESTC serves as an industry-wide platform to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—To help its members expand environmental sustainability efforts, the National Restaurant Association announced that it is working with the Atlanta-based Zero Waste Zone program to identify best practices, create resources and measure the impact of perishable organics waste management efforts. Celebrating its second anniversary today, the Zero Waste Zone program is administered by Elemental Impact. The collaboration is part of the Association’s Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative. “Atlanta’s Zero Waste Zone program has been incredibly successful, and we are now looking to expand that success to communities nationwide,” said Scott DeFife, executive vice president for policy and government affairs...

SEATTLE—Two Columbia Hospitality managed properties—Salish Lodge & Spa and Bell Harbor International Conference Center—announced the results of each property’s participation in the Greening Washington’s Lodging Industry pilot program. Spearheaded by the Washington Lodging Association (WLA) and Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. (Cascadia), results of the program are intended to provide a roadmap to industry peers, guests and the public for adopting positive environmental practices throughout Washington State. The Greening Washington’s Lodging Industry program was funded by a $53,000 Public Participation Grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology, one of only 13 such grants funded in 2009. In January 2010, WLA...

SAN FRANCISCO—The Board of Supervisors of San Francisco recently passed green building legislation that will improve energy efficiency in existing buildings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, and create green jobs. The ordinance will require owners of existing non-residential buildings to determine how much energy each building consumes, and to make that information public on an annual basis. The ordinance will also require commercial buildings over 10,000 square feet to conduct energy efficiency audits every five years in order to help the building owners and managers optimize building efficiency. “San Francisco needs to increase the energy and resource efficiency...

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte became the first urban hotel in the Southeast to offer a permanently-installed Level II charging station for use by guests driving electric vehicles. The new multi-power station is located in the front drive of the LEED Gold-certified property, is complimentary to hotel guests, and supports the hotel’s commitment to environmentally-friendly practices and operations. The launch of the new Ritz-Carlton plug-in charging station was highlighted by the on-site presence of a Li-Ion Motors Inizio all-electric supercar, designed and built in nearby Mooresville, N.C. Li-Ion Motors is also the creator of the all-electric Wave II, which was on...

TORONTO—Keeping with its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will participate for the fourth consecutive year in Earth Hour, a global event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to raise awareness about climate change. On Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. local time, all of Fairmont’s 64 world-class hotels and resorts will participate by turning off their lights for one hour. “Climate change impacts us all and is an issue we must address collectively,” said Chris Cahill, president, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “We continually encourage our hotels to be innovative with their energy conservation...

MADRID, SPAIN—Produced in partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the tourism chapter of the United Nations Environment Program-led (UNEP) Green Economy Report demonstrates how investing in environmentally-friendly tourism can drive economic growth, lead to poverty reduction and job creation, while improving resource efficiency and minimizing environmental degradation. Tourism is one of the most promising drivers of growth for the world economy, according to the report, but its development is accompanied by sustainability-related challenges. An investment of 0.2.% of global GDP ($135 billion at current levels of GDP) per year between now and 2050 would allow the tourism...

NEWTON, MASS.—TripAdvisor announced the results of its first annual survey of more than 1,000 U.S. accommodation owners—hoteliers, B&B owners and innkeepers—who revealed their plans to attract travelers in 2011 and increase repeat customers. According to the survey, 70 percent of survey respondents plan to offer programs in 2011 to reduce their impact on the environment. By contrast, 30 percent of accommodation owners have no plans to implement such programs. Most property owners expect room rates will either hold steady (51 percent) or decrease (4 percent), while 45 percent expect rates to increase. Yet, owners appear to be investing in their...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Highlighting day two (February 22) of the sixth annual Sustainable Meetings Conference at the Doubletree Hotel in Portland was a "Sustainable Meetings Standards" session summarizing the progress of the Green Meetings and Events Voluntary Standards. The lodging industry is anxiously awaiting the completion of the standards—the result of an effort led by the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), and ASTM International. According to Lawrence Leonard, APEX program director and a session panelist, the industry will have to wait a little more. “The standards are...

BOSTON—Some 4,000 renewable energy and green building experts will bring their cutting edge thinking—and very strong opinions—to Boston in March for the BuildingEnergy11 Conference and Tradeshow. Now in its 36th year, BuildingEnergy11 (BE11) is organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), and is the oldest and largest regional renewable energy event in the country. On Tuesday, March 8, three workshops at BE11 will highlight different constructs for gauging energy efficiency and environmental impact beyond the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system: Zero Net Energy, Passive House, and The Living Building Challenge. “NESEA believes in the...